The Invention relates to shipping containers for securely supporting panels such as insulating glass units, particularly multi-pane insulated glass refrigerator doors and window assemblies.
Commercial refrigerators and freezers such as employed in supermarkets, generally comprise a plurality of insulated glass doors, which are constructed of insulated glass units made up of two or more glass panes maintained in spread-apart relation by tubular spacers with the interior between the panes appropriately scaled. The glass unit in turn is supported within a relatively rugged outer metallic or plastic frame overlapping the periphery of the glass unit in position and for providing a decorative finished appearance to the assembly.
The refrigerator door assemblies are adapted for use in free standing refrigerators or freezer cases or built-in coolers or cabinets of the type used in retail stores to display refrigerated or frozen merchandise. A problem arises when a stack of insulated glass units are transported to the place of use. Generally the insulated units are transported, stacked in a vertically held position subjected to rough handling during transit with consequential breakage.
Various shipping containers have been proposed to support the vertically aligned glass units and guard against breakage during transportation. Among the patented shipping containers suggested for shipping glass glazed units and other fragile sheet-like articles include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,746,667, 3,335,932, 4,320,836, 4,572,473, 4,919,277, 5,145,073, 5,174,448 and 5,641,076.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,206 to Pride discloses a shipping container for vertically supporting panels of insulating glass units. The patented shipping container is described as comprising a floor, a generally upright rear wall for vertically supporting a plurality of parallel glass units which intersect at approximately a right angle. The glass units are supported in planes that are perpendicular to the planes of the rear wall and the floor. The rear wall includes a plurality of spaced, generally vertically extending grooves shaped and sized to receive and support the rearward edges of parallel glass units having a range of width and sizes. Likewise, the floor also includes a contact surface comprising a plurality of spaced, generally horizontally extending grooves shaped and sized to receive and support the bottom edges of parallel glass units also having a range of width and sizes. To secure these panels in position, elongated elastic restraints such as elastic cords in which one end is anchored at or adjacent the top of the rear wall and the other end of the restraint being attached to the floor forward of the glass unit. The elastic restraints are provided along their length with a support block which is adapted to contact and to press against the forward, upper corners of a respective glass unit which forces the glass unit toward the rear wall and the floor.
However, the shipping container of the above-described patent has several drawbacks. The elastic restraints, the novel feature of the patented system, are the weakest component. From the standpoint of handling, it is more labor intensive since a support block for each glazed unit must be individually attached for loading and individually removed for unloading. Further, the remaining unused restraints which remain anchored on the pallet must be removed and stowed. If left to remain in the place they may either become broken or lost. The obvious limitation is that the elastic restraints such as elastic cords cannot stabilize heavy items such as commercial refrigerators and freezer doors and panels. Therefore, there exists a need for a shipping container capable of handling heavy panels with a simple and economical modification that can be easily loaded and unloaded both manually and by mechanical methods, which is effective in preventing breakage of the glazed units. The shipping container of the prior art has not fulfilled these needs.